Reject terrorism, Bush urges UN

NEW YORK -- Addressing the largest gathering of world leaders in history, President Bush yesterday implored the United Nations to adopt reforms to ensure that it is ''free of corruption," while urging the 153 leaders to work together to tell terrorists that ''they cannot escape justice."

Bush, facing many leaders who remain upset over the use of faulty intelligence to initiate the war against Iraq, urged the body to come together in support of Iraq, which yesterday was hit by a series of insurgent bombings that killed more than 160 people.

''We must send a clear message to the rulers of outlaw regimes that sponsor terror and pursue weapons of mass murder. You will not be allowed to threaten the peace and stability of the world," Bush said, addressing the global threat of terrorism.

Even before Bush spoke, the summit was criticized by some as failing to meet the ambitious goals set by Secretary General Kofi Annan. While the United Nations adopted an overhaul plan, it did not go nearly as far as Annan had once hoped. Annan had envisioned a plan to dramatically decrease poverty and disease, a new human rights council that would indict abusive governments, and an enlarged Security Council that would agree on a definition of terrorism and how to fight it.

Instead, negotiators came up with a document that the leaders will sign tomorrow that papers over differences on many issues and drops mention of nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. There was no expansion of the Security Council, and the human rights council was created only on paper, with the details to be worked out later.

''There were governments that were not willing to make the concessions necessary," Annan told the group. ''There were spoilers, let's be quite honest about that."

There had once been high hopes that this summit would result in much larger efforts to combat world poverty. European nations that have pledged to contribute 0.7 percent of national income to alleviate poverty had pressed the United States to make a similar commitment. The United States contributes about 0.16 percent, although the White House says it is committed to eventually contributing at the 0.7 percent level. The European Union, which contributes 0.36 percent, has pledged to reach the 0.7 percent target by 2015.

Before the summit, however, John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, tried to remove mention of 0.7 percent goal from a UN communique. The United States allowed it back in an effort to get developing countries to agree to overhaul the UN bureaucracy. But the White House has not agreed to a deadline for reaching that target.

Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University economist who led Annan's effort for the poverty fund, said, ''The US needs to get to 0.7 percent and the fact that it is at 0.16 percent leaves a huge hole."

As an interim step, the White House touted Bush's call for an end to barriers to free trade, which it said would alleviate poverty by creating jobs. ''The United States is ready to eliminate all tariffs, subsidies, and other barriers to the free flow of goods and services as other nations do the same," Bush said.

While a White House official later said that Bush has previously called for dropping the trade barriers, he said Bush was emphasizing the idea in an effort to prod negotiations.

Bush said on Tuesday in a White House press conference that he would specifically address his concerns about Iran and Syria with world leaders here. But Bush did not mention either country in his speech to the General Assembly, although he may have brought up the issue in private talks. Bush also did not mention North Korea, which in 2002 he identified as part of an ''axis of evil" along with Iran and Iraq.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in an apparent reference to the United States, told the General Assembly: ''Any license for preemptive measures . . . which is a modern manifestation of the war-mongering and interventionist tendencies of the past, is a blatant contradiction to the very foundation of the United Nations." But Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo said: ''President Bush's words this morning were encouraging because they reflect an understanding of the interaction between the developing countries and the developed countries."

In one of Bush's toughest barbs, he criticized the membership of the UN Human Rights Commission. ''When this great institution's member states choose notorious abusers of human rights to sit on the UN Human Rights Commission, they discredit a noble effort, and undermine the credibility of the whole organization. If member countries want the United Nations to be respected -- respected and effective, they should begin by making sure it is worthy of respect," Bush said.

Although Bush did not identify the nations that he labeled abusers, he was apparently referring to Cuba, Libya, Zimbabwe, and Sudan.

Amnesty International issued a statement condemning what it called UN inaction on human rights. ''It is totally unacceptable that a small number of countries with deeply troubling human rights records led by China and Russia are being allowed to block the creation of a new, stronger, more effective and authoritative Human Rights Council," said Yvonne Terlingen, Amnesty International's UN representative. ''The United States of America and the United Kingdom also bear a particular responsibility by failing to stand up for a strong Human Rights Council at crucial moments in the negotiations."

Bush began his speech by thanking many nations for contributing aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which has devastated much of the Gulf Coast.

''To every nation, every province, and every community across the world that is standing with the American people in this hour of need, I offer the thanks of my nation," Bush said.

The summit document

Secretary General Kofi Annan hoped the General Assembly would endorse sweeping UN reforms, but the summit has fallen short of his goals. A look at what's in the document and what was left out.

Human rights

Sets up a new Human Rights council, but gives no guidelines on how it would replace the discredited Human Rights Commission.

Peace-building

Establishes a commission to help nations emerging from war and asserts an obligation to intervene when civilians face genocide and war crimes.

UN management

Weakens US-led effort to manage UN bureaucracy.

Terrorism

Fails to establish an agreed definition of terrorism.

Nonproliferation

Drops a section on disarmament and nonproliferation, which Annan called ''a real disgrace."

Sources: News reports, UN

GLOBE STAFF GRAPHIC/Kathleen Hennrikus